CERC to determine power tariffs of BBMB
Bahadurjeet Singh
hindustantimes.com
RUPNAGAR :

WHAT NEXT Board is planning to consult partner states and appeal against order within 60 days

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has decided to bring the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) under its jurisdiction for determining the tariffs of its generating units and transmission lines.
CERC, in its order, has directed the BBMB to make appropriate applications for approval of tariff for its generating stations and transmission system.
“BBMB is a generating company owned or controlled by the central government and is also involved in inter-state transmission of electricity.

Accordingly, regulation and determination of tariff for generation and inter-state transmission of electricity by BBMB are vested in the central commission,“ according to the suo motu order issued on September 15.

The BBMB, which has been taken aback by the CERC order, is planning to consult partner states including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, and appeal against the order within mandatory 60 days.

“The commission's own previous orders had clearly acknowledged the generation stations under BBMB as intrastate powerhouses,“ board officials argued.

BBMB has an installed capacity of 2804.73 MW from the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas Project and has a transmission network of 3,735 km of 400 KV, 220 KV, 132 KV and 66 KV transmission lines for supply of power to Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. At present, partner state power utilities get their tariff approvals from the state electricity regulatory commissions. At present, power from BBMB costs them about 30 per unit.

A senior power engineer said in case tariff for generating units and transmission lines is to be decided by CERC, the rates would go up substantially, which may further affect the power consumers.

“CERC's interpretation that BBMB is a central government project like Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) is not based on facts. The generation stations and allied transmission lines are the joint property of partner states and BBMB is only managing the assets on their behalf,“ he said, requesting anonymity. Besides, the central government provides no fund for BBMB as it does for DVC.